health.enabled

To mark #InternationalWomensDay, Transform Health and their partners launched a podcast series exploring the intersection of gender and digital health. Episode 2 features our CEO and Co-Founder, Patty Mechael, and focuses on the theme of investing in people. In conversation with Vedaang Prasad, Merry Health, YO.DH Youth Ownership of Digital Health, Betelhem Abebe Andargie, Getasew Amare, CDHi- Center for Digital Health and Implementation Science, and University of Gondar, they discuss the importance of gender analysis and research in digital health interventions to ensure that women are not excluded from the benefits of digital health. The conversation highlights the need for greater representation of women in #digitalhealth leadership and the importance of addressing gender barriers to digital health access. Tune in to health.enabled’s episode here:?https://lnkd.in/eyBsiQgG Be sure to also check out other episodes in the series here: https://lnkd.in/e_yC_Bu7 https://lnkd.in/ecwRN4ck https://lnkd.in/eRmQMb9W Collaborating partners: African Women in Digital Health (AWiDH), Speak Up Africa, Young Experts: Tech for Health, Transform Health Kenya, Girl Effect, Population Council ?#HealthForAll #UniversalHealthCoverage #GenderEquity #AccelerateAction

?? We’re excited to help promote the #DigitalHealth Initiatives Dashboard, now live on UNDP’s Digital Health for Development Hub! This interactive tool offers a comprehensive look at UNDP’s digital health work, showcasing how digital health solutions and AI are driving health systems strengthening, improving healthcare delivery, and advancing health equity—especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). ?? From disease surveillance and health commodity management to empowering health workers and enhancing diagnostics with AI, the dashboard maps ongoing interventions and highlights innovative approaches to overcoming critical health challenges. ?? Designed to support knowledge sharing, collaboration, and external partnerships, the dashboard allows users to explore projects by health priority, technology, and challenge area. This transparency helps us collectively scale impactful solutions and accelerate progress toward universal health coverage (UHC). ?? Explore the dashboard here: https://lnkd.in/exMgAYVr #DigitalHealth #AIforHealth #HealthEquity #HealthSystemsStrengthening #UNDP #UHC #GlobalHealth #DigitalTransformation

Can AI Improve Public Health Writing? Key Takeaways from Our Experiment At health.enabled, we put Generative AI to the test—comparing human vs. AI-supported approaches for developing a Technical Brief on digital health for supportive supervision in immunisation. What We Learned: ? AI = Speed: LLMs delivered major time savings during pre-writing (outlines, research questions, summaries). ?? AI ≠ Accuracy: Outputs looked polished but lacked depth, technical precision, and clear citations. ?? Human-in-the-loop is a must: Expert oversight is critical to catch inaccuracies and ensure relevance. ?? Equity blindspots: AI didn’t surface gender, geographic, or socioeconomic biases—highlighting the need for intentional equity-focused prompts, datasets, and referencing. Bottom line: A focus on accuracy is insufficient. AI can support public health writing—but only with expert guidance, clear prompts, and a focus on transparency and equity along with accuracy. #PublicHealth #AIinHealth #DigitalHealth #healthenabled #GenAI #ResponsibleAI #Gavi #AIWriting

We are committed to building a future where technology enables health and well-being for all people. As we celebrate International Women's Day, we recognize that collaboration and co-design are more important than ever in building sustainable health systems in which women are prioritized and programs are structured to advance gender equity. We must demand inclusive research, equitable digital health design, and technology that serves everyone. We must advocate for diverse leadership and investment in gender-responsive?#digitalhealth?solutions. We also need to ensure AI and health data reflect the needs of all populations. Digital health equity is not a niche issue—it’s a necessity. Let’s work together to make digital health work for?everyone.

The EU recently announced its AI Act, which bans AI applications that pose risks to safety, privacy, and dignity—such as AI-powered manipulation and exploitation of human vulnerabilities, social scoring systems, and invasive biometric tracking. As technology impacts our everyday lives, safeguards are essential for preventing harm and building trust. ?? With health classified as a high-risk category, regulatory requirements are hefty, which will lead to a significant increase in development costs for many AI-driven healthcare innovations. The need for a multi-institutional approach, collaborating across governments, private sectors, and civil society is critical to ensure health continues to receive the benefits of AI applications that are safe, accessible, and equitable. ? When done right, regulation is a guide for sustainable innovation that protects lives. We see this as an opportunity to lead by example by developing solutions that are ethical, effective, and inclusive. Through proactive engagement with these regulations, we can drive responsible innovation while ensuring AI reduces health disparities and reaches marginalized communities, including children, who deserve the highest standard of protection and care. ? Read more about our research on Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning for Immunisation in this technical brief, written in partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance: https://lnkd.in/euPDsNFi #DigitalHealth #AI #AIRegulation #ChildSafety #EUAIAct #EthicalAI

In the spirit of balance and well-being, we’re embracing a Digital Detox Day —a little time to log off, be present, and nourish our offline connections. Because while we’re passionate about technology improving health globally, we also believe that the healthiest connections start face-to-face, not screen-to-screen. From all of us at health.enabled, we wish you a Valentine’s Day filled with love, joy, and a little bit of digital stillness.

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) recently published a report on Responsible AI in Global Health, highlighting an urgent reality: while AI holds enormous promise for strengthening health systems, it also carries risks—from data biases and exclusionary design. Without an intentional approach, AI could widen gaps rather than close them. Ways to harness the benefits, while minimizing risks, include: ? Co-designing solutions with communities to reflect local realities, values, and needs ? Ensuring data quality and representation so AI models don’t reinforce historical biases ? Developing ethical, accountable, and representative governance frameworks to guide AI’s impact on the populations it serves ? Implementing transparent and participatory evaluation methods to measure success beyond either accuracy or efficiency (both of which are meaningless if they do not reach people)—focusing on health outcomes As we continue our work, we call on global health and tech partners to collaborate in building AI systems that don’t just optimize efficiency but actively dismantle systemic health disparities. Read IRDC's report to learn more! English: https://lnkd.in/eBcBy6NP French: https://lnkd.in/eVbPVaqN Spanish: https://lnkd.in/ekpeMv5h #ResponsibleAI #GlobalHealth #AIForGood

Join health.enabled on February 1st at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference in #Thailand for our conversation on “Fortifying National Systems for the Age of AI.” There is a need to facilitate dialogue and collaboration among diverse stakeholders to address the complex challenges of governing health technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in a manner that prioritizes safety, equity, and inclusivity in national health systems. This session will highlight and examine case studies demonstrating effective national governance models that create successful enabling environments for safe, equitable, and inclusive adoption of technology and AI applications in health systems. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eFGKmimf?

health.enabled recently led a research study in collaboration with the University of Kinshasa, with the support of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The study highlights the importance of georeferenced immunization microplans in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. By integrating geospatial data and gender-responsive strategies, this initiative has revolutionized vaccination planning and delivery, especially for hard-to-reach communities. Key Outcomes: ?? Significant improvements in immunization coverage, including a sustained increase in vaccination rates in the Haut-Lomami province. ?? Use of geospatial tools to map settlements, define health area boundaries, and optimize outreach strategies. ?? Gender-intentional approaches empowered women to play a critical role in overcoming sociocultural barriers and engaging communities. This approach underscores the impact of reaching #zerodose children—those who have never received a single vaccine—and ensuring equitable access to life-saving #immunizations. Read the full paper here to learn more:? https://lnkd.in/e-hjtDUi #PublicHealth #DigitalHealth

Join us on January 29 at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference in #Thailand for a conversation organized by UNICEF and Asia eHealth Information Network (AeHIN) titled “National Digital Health Enterprise Planning, Architecture, and Capacity Building through Convergence Workshop Methodologies.” The conversation will explore how achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) requires health systems that can leverage digital technologies to capture, exchange, and utilize health data effectively. AeHIN has introduced the updated Digital Health Convergence Workshop Toolkit to facilitate interoperability in national digital health programs, especially in low-to-middle income countries (LMICs). This toolkit promotes coordinated governance and management efforts to help countries achieve UHC through digital health transformation, emphasizing standards and interoperability for connected healthcare systems. The toolkit updates reflect the significant advancements in the digital health landscape over the past six years, including new technical guidance and national digital health strategies in the Asia Pacific region. AeHIN has incorporated country experiences from Lao PDR, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, an AeHIN white paper on strengthening the digital health ecosystem in Asia, and the use of the Global Digital Health Monitor in convergence workshops. Additionally, AeHIN has formed the Community of Interoperability Labs (COIL) with ten countries to implement standards and artifacts, providing opportunities for stakeholders to understand and adopt these standards. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eAjAZAxM?